Arranging the Meal: A History of Table Service in France - $34.95
Jean-Louis Flandrin, translated by Julie E Johnson, with Sylvie & Antonio Roder. The sequence in which food has been served at meals has changed greatly over the centuries and has also varied from one country to another. Most food historians have treated the more significant alterations as stand-alone events, but the late culinary historian Jean-Louis Flandrin argues that such changes in the order of food service are far from distinct events. Instead, he regards them as historical phenomena that changed in response to various socioeconomic and cultural factors – mutations in an ever-changing sequence of customs. This posthumous book is a significant contribution to culinary scholarship. Hardcover, 240pp, 22 b/w photos, 9 line illus, 17 tables. University of California Press
Food: The History of Taste - $39.95
Paul Freedman, editor. This richly illustrated book is the first to apply the discoveries of the next generation of food historians to the pleasures of dining and the culinary accomplishments of diverse civilizations, past and present. Essays by French, German, Belgian, American, and British historians present a comprehensive, chronological history of taste from prehistory to the present day. These wide-ranging essays form a fascinating story of what sustains us. Hardcover, 368pp, 99 color illus, 139 b/w photos. University of California Press
Medieval Cuisine of the Islamic World - $24.95
Lilia Zaouali, translated by M B DeBevoise, with a foreword by Charles Perry. This concise history, a delightful culinary adventure that is part history and part cookbook, surveys the gastronomical art that developed at the Caliph’s sumptuous palaces in ninth and tenth century Baghdad, drew inspiration from Persian, Greco-Roman, and Turkish cooking, and rapidly spread across the Mediterranean. In a charming narrative, Zaouali brings to life Islam’s vibrant culinary heritage. She further considers cookware, utensils, aromatic substances, and condiments. The book also gathers an extensive selection of original recipes drawn from medieval culinary sources, as well as contemporary recipes that evoke the flavors of the Middle Ages. Hardcover, 238pp, 32 color illustrations. University of California Press
Taste of Conquest: The Rise and Fall of the Three Great Cities of Spice - $25.95
Michael Krondl. In the author’s words, this is a ‘foodie history of the spice trade, focusing in on the three great spice emporia of Venice, Lisbon, and Amsterdam, that largely controlled the European trade between 1300 and 1700. The book documents plenty of spice-laced meals…but also some surprising facts. Suffice it to say that researching the subject was both a gustatory and an intellectual treat. The result, I think, is a pretty book and an entertaining read.’ Hardcover. Virtual footnotes available. Ballantine Books.
High Fashion in the Church: The Place of Church Vestments in the History of Art from the 9th to the 19th Century – hc $150
Pauline Johnstone. The decoration of church vestments, the ceremonial garments worn by the clergy at the celebration of the Mass, has always been a matter of high fashion. The crafts of silk weaving and embroidery, which provide the technical means for the decoration of these garments, have held a prominent place in the changing fashions in the arts since the early Middle Ages. Since that time they have been used in the service of the Church as well as for secular purposes. Appendix, glossary, bibliography, index. Hardcover, 207pp, 102 color illos, 176 b/w illos. Quite Specific Media
Maternity Fashion - $22.50
Doretta Davanzo Poli. A world history of maternity fashion from 1266 to 1980. Hardcover, 119 pp, 83 color photos & illus, 76 b/w illus. Quite Specific Media
Purses in Pieces: Archeological Finds of late medieval and 16th-century leather purses - $40.00
Olaf Goubitz. Specifically, purses, pouches, bags and cases in the Netherlands. Another of Goubitz’s superb books, showing the actual restored purse plus sketches of its outlines and period illustrations showing similar items being worn. There are also some reconstructed items using modern leather.9" x 11", perfect-bound, 118pp, brief notes & references, b/w sketches & photos on virtually every page. SPA Itgevers
Stepping Through Time (Goubitz) is now available in paperback for $75
Worldwide History of Dress - $100.00
Patricia R Anawalt. Every notable geographical region, historical period, and style of dress is covered here. The book discusses all aspects of dress and accessories, including face and body modification. More than 1,000 illustrations include both vintage and modern-day photos of local people in local clothing, color plates of museum quality artifacts, historic paintings and other artwork, line drawings, and more than 50 specially commissioned maps. Hardcover, 608pp, 1,100 illus (800 in color). Thames & Hudson.
Complete Bladesmith: Forging Your Way to Perfection - $42.95
Jim Hrisoulas. Stop wasting time looking for that perfect blade and make your own! This book will show you how to take a bar of steel and forge it into the blade of your dreams. This guide to forging world-class blades is for the novice and experienced bladesmith alike. With this book, you will be able to build your own forge, equip your workshop, choose your materials from the exotic to the mundane, and get to work. You’ll jump at the chance to heat the steel, bending, twisting, folding, cutting, and stretching it. Finally, you’ll put the perfect grind on the new blade; fit the softest, hardest, or the most exotic wood to the grip, and slip your blade into your handmade sheath. Whether you want a survival blade, commando dagger, broadsword, tanto, or just a trustworthy utility knife, it’s all here. Hardcover, dj, 179pp, biblio, appendices, numerous b/w illos, diagrams, and photos. Paladin Press
Wayne Goddard’s $50 Knife Shop - $19.95
Wayne Goddard. If you’ve ever dreamed of making knives, the author will show you how to get started without investing a fortune in fancy gear. You’ll learn all about selecting steel, forging, grinding, heat treating, and finishing knives, without the huge and expensive tools found in some shops. Goddard even teaches you to make wire Damascus blades with the simplest of tools. A great companion to Goddard’s Wonder of Knifemaking, this book provides all the details needed to set up a backyard knife shop and start turning out great blades. Tr paper, 156pp, index, glossary, 8pp color photos, b/w photos, diagrams, illus, charts on almost every page. Krause Publications
Master Bladesmith: Advanced Studies in Steel - $46
Jim Hrisoulas. The author is a master blade smith with more than thirty years’ forging experience. He specializes in medieval broadswords and daggers, and Damascus pattern-welding. The phenomenal success and feedback from his first book, The Complete Bladesmith, convinced him that an advanced study on steel was needed by experienced bladesmiths anxious to perfect their forging skills and knowledge. This book is for them. Tr paper, 286pp, biblio, appendices of weights & measures, compounds & formulae, welding fluxes, b/w diagrams & photos. Paladin Press
The Pattern-Welded Blade: Artistry in Iron - $30
Jim Hrisoulas. Pattern-welded blades are among the most beautiful and durable creations ever to emerge from the blacksmith’s forge. Now, Jim Hrisoulas, author of the hugely successful Complete Bladesmith and Master Bladesmith, reveals the secrets of this ancient craft, from the welding of the starting billet to the final assembly of the completed blade. He shares his year of experience forging basic, precise patterns and the stunning more complex designs, so that any smith with the desire to learn this demanding yet immensely satisfying skill can produce blades that are both intriguing works of art and sturdy work pieces fit for any task. Tr paper, 112pp, appendices & brief biblio, b/w diagrams, patterns, & photos. Paladin Press
Wooden Bowl - $49.95
Robin Wood. This is the first authoritative account of the history of the wooden bowl.. It details evidence of the turners craft dating back 4000 years, and looks at the development of lathe technology, as well as the tools and timbers used. The author has been given unprecedented access to study and photograph important collections, many of which have never appeared in print before. The superb photographs show priceless, gold-adorned vessels buried with Saxon Kings, Tudor bowls from the wreck of the Mary Rose, and even a bowl which some claim to be the Holy Grail. Hardcover. 192p Stobart Davies 2005
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